Button-setting machine



(No Model.) N 2 sheets"sheet 1.

F. E. HALL.

T l BUTTON SETTING MACHINE. I No. 491,016. Patented Jan. 3l, 1893.

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Wi/esses [meh/Zar UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK E. HALL, OF NEVTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE CONSOLI- DATEDFASTENER COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE.

BUTTON-SETTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 491,016, dated January31, 1893.

Application tiled February 23, 1892. Serial No. 422,336 (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK E. HALL, of Newton, in the county of Middlesexand State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Button-Setting Machines, of which the following is afull specification.

My invention relates to machines for setting buttons of the classwherein the two main parts of the button are riveted together throughthe material, my improved machine being automatic in its action andadapted to feed both parts from separate hoppers to the point ofclinching, in the manner hereinafter set forth in detail.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:- Figure l-shows in sideelevation, partly in section, a machine embodying my invention, thesection through the upper hopper being taken in the plane of z z Fig. 5.Fig. 2-is a front view of part of the plunger casing with a portionthereof shown in section. Figs. 3 and l-are sectional views on anenlarged scale through the two chutes for feeding the button parts, thetwo parts being each shown in its respective chute. Fig. 5-is top planview of the machine and Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view in theplane of x :c Fig. l.

A is the standard of the machine and A the base plate thereof screwed ata to the table B near the front edge of said table. The upper branch ofthe standard A terminates in front at A2 in a shell or casing for theupper stationary die I, while the lower branch of the standardterminates in front in the plunger casingA3 which extends downward,below the table.

H is the plunger guided to move up and down in the opening within thecasing A3. The plunger is bifurcated at its lower end as at h andpivoted at n to the connecting arm N which is in turn pivoted at n. tothe lever P fulcru med at p to the bottom of the plunger casing.

P is a rod connecting the lever P to a suitable treadle all parts beingso arranged that an up and down motion is imparted to the plunger H whenthe rod P is moved up and down, the arm N playing in the slot a4 at theback of the plunger casing.

C and D are the two inclined hoppers which ratchet by means of thespring d?.

are to contain a quantity of the butt/on tops and washers respectively.The hoppers are mounted in the anges C7 D7 which are integral with thebrackets C and D respectively, said brackets being screwed or bolted tothe standard one on each side thereof, and C2 and D2 are the hoppercovers. .l

C4 is a shaft having bearings in the bracket C near the outer endthereof. C3 is a plate set into the flange C7 and xed on the shaft C4 toturn therewith. The top of the shaft C4 is screw threaded as at c4 toengage with the central tapped opening in the hub o3 of the hopper O.The hopper is thus tightly screwed on the plate O3 with which it turns.

The various parts of the hopper lD with its ,i

connections are precisely similar to the corresponding parts of thehopper O.

Fig. 6- best shows how motion is transmitted to the hopper D. D4 is theshaft (corresponding to the shaft O4 of hopper C.) mounted in thebracket D. D5 is a ratchet wheel fixed to the shaft D4 near the bottomthereof, while D6 is a disk or plate mounted loosely on the shaft D4beneath the ratchet wheel, and provided withan arm D8. d5 is a theratchet wheel, being pressed against said tent to prevent the backwardturning of the shaft D4.

E, E', E2 is a double bell-crank lever ful crumed at e to the standardA. To the two arms, E E2 of this lever are respectively pivoted at e e2the rods E3 E4 the rear ends of which rods are pivotally connected at06d respectively to the outer ends of the ratchetactuating arms C8 D8.The outer end of the arm E is pivoted at e3 to an end of the bar M whichbar passes through the slot b in the table B and is pivotally connectedat h3 with the arm H3 rigidly secured to the plunger H. Thus as theplunger H rises and falls the arm H3 moves up and down 'in the side slota3 of the plunger casing, and through the bell-crank andratchet-and-pawl mechanism just described, a step by step motion isgiven both IOS with the openings cof a size and shape to allow onebutton at a time when in proper position to pass out.

F is the raceway for the button tops lthe transverse section of whichraceway is shown in Fig. 3. This raceway F is preferably made in onepiece and is connected at its upper end with the flange CT near thelowest point of said flange in such a position that the open slot wayfisuppermost but takes a twist in its course downward and terminates underthe stationary die I with the slot way f beneath. The raceway F is heldat the'bottom by means of the piece F screwed thereto and to thestandard A. As the hopper C moves around, the button tops containedtherein are stirred and agitated,being constantly dropped to the lowestpoint thereof in such position as to emerge through one of theopeningscat frequent intervals, whence they pass into the raceway FVwith their riveting eyelets R pointing upward, and dropby gravity tothe,

lowest point thereof, said riveting eyelets R atthe bottom of theraceway pointing directly downward. A spring linger F2 at the bottomotthe raceway prevents the lowermost j button top from passing out of theraceway, and keeps it under the die I.

It is intended to keep the raceway F constantly full of' button topsfrom top to bottom, the lowermost buttontop having-itshead immediatelyunder the stationary die I. This isheld in its socket by means of theset screw. i, and may be lowered when desired by the screw I at the top.

G isthe raceway for the button washers S, presenting in transversesection the shape shown in Fig. 4, having the top plates G screwedthereon at g. Thisraceway passes directly down from the hopperDcontaiuing the washers, to the plunger casing A3 with the interior ofwhich the raceway connects.

The hopper lD has the openings d of such a shapethat the washers canonly emerge therefrom with the open side u p. The washers, as:

shown in Fig. 4 contain anvils for clinching the riveting eyelets Rtherein.

The plunger easing A3 is provided with a transverse slot way in linewith the raceway G passing across-the width ot the plunger dpening andcommunicating therewith, and passing through the side projection H4. Inthis slot way is guided the horizontally sliding, gate L beveled atZzatits forward end and havinga downwardly bent armwith a roller L atthey bottom thereof.

H2 isa cam shaped arm secured to theplunger and projecting laterallythrough the slot a3 in such a position that when the plunger rises thecam shaped arm engages with the roller` L and moves the gate L outwardthereby opening communication between the raceway G and the interior ofthe plungercasing. By means of the spring Z and the post Z the gateL ismoved backward into the position shown in Fig. 2, closing communicationbeplunger is in the lowest position lies just loe- ,low the gate Lso.that a washer passing from the raceway G (with the gate L withdrawn topermit it) passes directly onto the top of said die.

The raceway G is preferably kept full of washers from topto bottom,thefbottom washer resting normally against: the smooth inner edge ot thegate L.

K isa table which by meansof the screw 7c is held on the top of thesleeve K on alevel with the top surface thereof. This table supports thematerial on which the buttons are to be mounted.

The plunger H and thev movable die H attached thereto have their centralaxis inline with that of the stationary die I. y g Starting with theraceways both fullwith la washer on top of the4 movable dielI-I, andlwith the material on which the buttons are lto be mounted rest-ing inproper position on the tablefKQthey operation of the machine is fasfollowsz-Therod P is pushed upward (as by a` down strokeof the foot onthe treadle) thus'movingthe plunger and with it theqdie H upwardin thecasing A3, carrying the washer S up against theunder surface of theAmaterial as it rests on the table K and then,

continuing upward, lifts the material-with it,

and pushes it against the downwardly pro.-

;jecting eyelet R of the button under the die drawn allowing thelowermost washer` in the raceway G to fall into the opening left by thegate, said washer resting against the plunger. When theplunger descends`and the cam arm H2 passes out of contact with the roller L', thebeveled portion Z2 of the gate L ispressedby the spring Z against thewasher S which has dropped in the path of the gate, so thatwhen the topof the die H has passed beneath the IOO opening occupied by the washer,the said gate springs back` inplace and moves the said lower washer intothe plunger casing upon the top of the dieH in to the position shown inFig. 1.

Meantime, the operator by pulling.

the material has removed the button last set from under the die I pastthe holding spring F2 and another button top or head drops into placeagainst said spring.

It is my purpose to have the machine perfectly adjustable for differentsized button heads and washers. The hoppers C and D may be readilyremoved and replaced by others containing different sizes of buttonparts, the openings c and d being of course of proper size to feed theparticular part into the raceway.

The dies H and I may be readily removed and replaced by others of sizescorresponding to the button parts, and the sleeve K is also removable,it being of course necessary to have the sleeve in each case correspondin size of central opening with the size of the die H.

It will be noticed that by the peculiar construction and arrangement ofthe parts, the washers are fed one by one from the raceway onto themovable die at its lowermost position, the washer on the top of the diebeing` then moved upward, through the passage way which it approximatelytits, almost to the point of clinching, thus securing great accuracy inbringing the two parts of the button together.

l. In a button setting machine the combination of a stationary die,meansfor holding a button head with its rivet centrally beneath said die, aguiding passageway, a movable die, fitting said passageway and having avertical reciprocating motion therein, and a washerguiding racewaycommunicating with said passageway just above the top of said movabledie, when at its lowest position, and adapted to deliver awasher on thetop of said movable die, substantially as described.

2. In a button setting machine the combination of a stationary die,means for holding a button head with its rivet centrally beneath saiddie, a guiding passageway, a movable die fitting said passageway andhaving a vertical reciprocating motion therein, an inclinedwasher-guiding raceway having communication with said passageway justabove the top of said movable die, when at its lowest position, and areciprocating gate moving between said raceway and passageway, wherebyone washer at a time is delivered on said movable die, substantially asdescribed.

3. In a button setting machine the combi- Y nation of a stationary dieand racewayF a guiding passageway, a movable die fitting said passagewayand having a vertical reciprocating motion therein, an inclinedwasherguiding raceway having communication with said passageway justabove the top of said movable die, when at its lowest position, and areciprocating gate F moving between said raceway and passageway, wherebyone washer v at a time is delivered on said movable die, substantiallyas described.

4.-. In a button setting machine the combination of a stationary die andraceway F a guiding passageway, a plunger, a movable die mounted on saidplunger fitting said passageway and having a vertical reciprocatingn10-` tion therein, an inclined washer-guiding raceway havingcommunication with said passageway just above the top of said movabledie, when at its lowest position, and a reciprocating gate Fhorizontally movable across the path of said raceway between it and thepassageway, said gate being beveled at its forward end, substantially asand for the purposes described.

5. In a button setting machine the combination of a stationary die andraceway F the plunger H, sleeve K, die H', inclined raceway G, springactuated gate L, having the beveled portion Z2 and provided with theroller L', and the cam-arm H2 secured to said plunger and engaging withsaid roller, substantially as and for the purposes described.

6. In a button setting machine the combination of a stationary die, avertically reciprocating die, a plunger operating the movable die,hoppers for the button heads and rivets actuated by said plunger, atwisted raceway leading from the buttonhead hopper to the stationarydie, an inclined raceway passing from the washer hopper to said movabledie, and a plunger-operated washer-separating gate interposed betweensaid raceway and said movable die, whereby at each stroke of the plungera washer is moved from the raceway and deposited on the movable die atits lowest position, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

FRANK E. HALL.

Witnesses:

Louis A. DONILLE, WM. B. H. DowsE.

IOO

